50 years ago on April 22, 1970, 20 million Americans – 10% of the U.S. population at the time – showed up for the very first Earth Day to demand action on the environmental crises of the time. The first Earth Day is credited with launching the modern environmental movement and is recognized as the planet’s largest civic event.
10 ways to celebrate this Earth Day
Whether online or in person, the goal of Earth Day 50 years later remains unchanged: to unite people around the world in taking action to protect the planet.
Here are 10 ways to celebrate this Earth Day alone but still together. We are also sharing these ideas and graphics on our social media channels - Hennepin Environment on Facebook and @hennepinenviro on Twitter.
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1. Hold your own Earth Day cleanup: Protect our lakes, rivers, and streams by signing up to adopt a drain, or grab some gloves and a bag before you head out on a walk and pick up some litter while you’re out.
2. Spend time in nature: Practice your observational skills by starting a phenology journal to record seasonal changes or contribute to citizen science research.
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3. Practice sustainable transportation: Explore your neighborhood and discover what you can walk or bike to.
4. Use sustainable landscaping: Incorporate native plants into your garden to provide food and habitat for pollinators and design ways to keep water on your yard by installing rain barrels, designing a rain garden, or redirecting downspouts.
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4. Reduce food waste: Learn strategies to reduce food waste at Save the Food, such as improving your meal planning, storing food to make it last, and keeping track of perishable items and using them up before they spoil
5. Start backyard composting: Put your fruit and vegetable scraps and yard waste to better use with backyard composting. The end product is nutrient-rich compost that you can add to your yard or garden.
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6. Start some low-waste habits: Replace disposable items you commonly use with reusables, be a thoughtful consumer by only buying what you need and buying high-quality items that are meant to last, and extend the life of your items by maintaining or repairing them.
7. Read a book about the environment: Read a book on climate change or the environment. See recommendations from the Earth Day Network here and here.
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Applications due by 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 28
Applications for the 2020 round of environmental education grants are being accepted now through 3 p.m. on Thursday, May 28.
This program provides funding and support to organizations to actively educate, engage and motivate residents to become environmental stewards and take environmentally friendly actions.
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Types of grants
We award two types of environmental education grants:
- Environmental action grants for projects that focus on motivating adults to do more to protect the environment by focusing on one or two environmentally friendly actions using behavior change strategies.
- Youth environmental education grants for projects that engage youth in learning about the environment and becoming environmental stewards using youth environmental education best practices.
Access the grant guidelines and learn how to apply.
Information meeting webinars
Grant information webinars will be held:
- Wednesday, May 6 from 10 to 11 a.m.
- Thursday, May 14 from 1 to 2 p.m.
Applicants are strongly encouraged to attend an information meeting or contact the program manager for feedback on project ideas before applying. RSVP to an information webinar or get feedback by contacting Patience Caso at patience.caso@hennepin.us or 612-348-9352.
Funding available for tree plantings, ash tree removals, tree inventories, outreach and more
Grants are available to cities, affordable housing properties, schools, and nonprofit organizations to make positive changes in the tree canopy and engage the community in taking action to protect trees.
The goals of the program are to combat threats to trees from invasive insects and disease, educate the public on tree care and the importance of trees, and increase the diversity and resiliency of the tree canopy.
Grants are available to schools and nonprofit organizations to plant trees on school and community properties, offer tree-related education, conduct tree inventories, remove ash trees, and hold Arbor Day celebrations.
Applications are due by 3 p.m. on Thursday, June 18. Grant projects would begin in the fall.
Access the grant guidelines and learn how to apply. Contact Hennepin County foresters at trees@hennepin.us for help developing your project.
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Moving forward: digital environmental education resources
Many of our environmental education partners have shifted their programming and are highlighting resources that can be accessed digitally. Here are a few good resources to check out.
Wolf Ridge adventures in learning online curriculum
As learning moves online for schools and families, Wolf Ridge has released online, standards-based lessons. Students explore Wolf Ridge and their own backyards to experience nature from a variety of perspectives, including science, history, culture, art, and literature.
Every lesson includes:
- Interactive StoryMap or teacher-guided written story and activity handouts
- 5 to 10 minute video adventure with Wolf Ridge Naturalists, also available as a printable story to read
- Two lessons for students and/or families to do an activity
- An outdoor component that you can do in your own backyard, on a walk through your neighborhood or at a safe distance from others in your local park
- Minnesota State Academic Standards support, backed by Wolf Ridge’s accreditation as a K-12 school
Wolf Ridge plans to release one new lesson a week. The lessons currently available are: Birds!, and Earthworks. View descriptions for all upcoming lessons (PDF).
Climate Generation curriculum and teaching resources
Climate Generation is offering a variety of resources to help educators adapt their climate curriculum:
- Virtual adaptations for climate change curriculum: watch the recorded webinar to learn how to adapt the Next Generation Climate curriculum to virtual and distance learning, see climate change education resources for virtual classrooms, and check out resources for making the important but delicate connection between COVID-19 and climate change.
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Earth Day Storytelling Slam: Tune in live on Earth Day, April 22, to hear personal experiences of climate change, including stories, poems and musical performances to uplift our spirits, create connection, and build solidarity.
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Teach Climate Network: Provides teaching tips, resources, inspiration, and community networking with educators from all disciplines, grade levels, and educational settings.
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Spark-Y encourages STEM learning at home
With lots of parents seeking resources to keep their children busy and learning, Spark- Y compiled a list of websites to help parents and caregivers provide ongoing STEM education from home. Many of these resources are sites young people can access and learn all on their own to relieve busy caregivers short on time. Check out their latest blog post for the resources.
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Spring phenology and family resources from Project Learning Tree
Spring student nature journal
Use the Spring student nature journal to encourage your students to record nature observations at home. Possible prompts include:
- Weather conditions (clouds, sun, wind, temperature, precipitation)
- Birds (birds that visit the feeder, bird songs)
- Blossoms (red flowers on silver maples, dandelion blooms)
- Insects (first butterfly/ant/mosquito/etc. of the year)
- Leaves (day when maple leaf is 2 cm wide, 4 cm wide, etc.)
Fall and Winter journals available too.
Family activities
These activities are great to assign for at-home work or to share with families. Activities including something for children ages 3 to 15, and they can be modified based on a child's knowledge and ability.
Categories include:
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Project Learning Tree offers discount on online courses
Project Learning Tree is currently offering 50% off their online courses. Use code EARTHDAY20 to access the discount through April 30.
Courses available:
Community based social marketing and behavior change virtual trainings
 Community-based social marketing is a primary model we use at Hennepin County Environment and Energy to plan programs that motivate change to protect the environment. Introductory and advanced workshops are being offered online this spring. Receive $50 off when registering with code 4d01e48f.
Introductory Workshop
May 18 to 21, registration ends soon
Provides a comprehensive introduction to community-based social marketing and how it is being applied throughout the world to foster behavior change.
Advanced workshop
June 15 to 19, register now
Provides an in-depth exploration of how community-based social marketing can be used to foster behavioral changes and provides attendees the opportunity to apply this approach to their own programs. This workshop is restricted to individuals who have previously attended the introductory workshop.
Institute on the Environment Second Monday series
Come join the conversation! The University of Minnesota's Institute on the Environment’s Second Monday series brings together a panel of experts to ask big questions, discuss collaborative projects, and dive into other cross-cutting sustainability issues.
The series is free, and you can watch recordings of past webinars. Topics covered already this spring:
- Climate-induced natural disasters
- Global futures: where environment and economy converge
- Clearing the air: what the media gets right and wrong when covering environment issues
The following organizations received a Hennepin County environmental education grant and are busy engaging their audiences in taking action to protect the environment.
Spark-Y fish friends relocation project
Staff members at Spark-Y recently mobilized to recover fish from their in-school aquaponics systems.
"When you heard that schools were closing, you probably didn’t consider all the classroom pets that might be affected. Who will feed all the classroom turtles, guinea pigs, and fish? Their human friends won’t be around to feed them or keep them company. Luckily for them they have a place to go, and some lucky people will have a new friend to care for and to take their minds off things during this time of uncertainty. When I found out that the fish might be locked in schools without anyone to take care of them, I knew I had to move quickly."
- Ryland Sorensen, Spark-Y Sustainable Systems Coordinator
Read about their fish relocation project their blog.
Midwest Food Connection teaches elementary students about food and food waste
Midwest Food Connection spent their fall with students at Barton and Seward schools learning about food, food waste, and compost. Students have grown and harvested food at the school gardens, cooked and tasted food, and learned about and practiced composting. Check out their blog for some great stories.
Until schools are allowed to resume programming in-person, Midwest Food Connection is developing online curriculum for the schools and educators they serve. Find out more on their website.
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Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota launches new group of green ambassadors
Lao Assistance Center of Minnesota launched a new group of Southeast Asian Project Green Ambassadors to spread the word about recycling and household hazardous waste. Folks met for a presentation from Hennepin County staff to learn about recycling and household hazardous waste. Lao Center staff led participants in making green cleaners that they could use at home after the workshop.
The group also attended a tour at the Hennepin County drop-off facility in Brooklyn Park. The Green Ambassadors are teaching 10 others in their social networks about what they learned. Ambassadors received spray bottles to make more green cleaners and reusable bags to give out to people. Training of Ambassadors happened in the fall, and they are using this time to promote recycling on their Facebook account and supporting the Ambassadors.
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